Loose-leaf binding element



y 1966 s. 1.. GOLDMAN 3,251,364

LOOSE-LEAF BINDING ELEMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1964 flttarned United StatesPatent 3,251,364 LOOSE-LEAF BINDING ELEMENT Sanford L. Goldman, 129 W.Walnut St., Long Beach, N.Y. Filed Nov. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 408,554 1Claim. (Cl. 12924) This invention relates to a binding element forlooseleaf binders, and particularly to a binding element having arelatively elongated back or mounting strip from which extend spacedloop or ring-like members for engaging and holding perforated sheets.

Generally stated, the binding element of the invention comprises anintegral construction of an elongated back or mounting strip andlongitudinally spaced flexible loop or ring-like members all made from aplastic material molded into a single piece. The plastic loops orring-like members are integrally attached to one edge of the back alongthe length thereof by thin areas of contact which act as hinge jointspermitting easy movement of the loops, and the free ends of the flexibleloops are tapered to permit easy insertion into spaced aperturespositioned near the opposite edge of the mounting strip. There areindividual apertures for the flexible plastic loops, and the aperturesare each provided with an indent or shoulder in the side wall thereoffor firmly securing or holding the tapered ends of the loops thereinuntil such tapered ends of the loops are set free from the indents orshoulders of the apertures by upward finger pressure on the taperedends. The shoulder or indent in each aperture thus acts as a releasablelock or catch for the free end of the flexible lops. Each tapered freeend of a loop is provided with a bulging portion. The combination oftapered free ends for the flexible plastic loops and the indented orshoulder constructions of the apertures provide snug fits for thetapered ends of the loops which snap into the apertures when the bulgingportions pass below the upper wall of the indent or shoulder. Thebinding element may be secured to the inside of the loose-leaf bookcover by riveting the mounting strip thereto.

Among the advantages of the binding element of the invention are: Thetapered portions of the free ends of the flexible plastic loops fitsnugly into the correspondingly positioned apertures in the mountingstrip and snap into the indent or shoulder in the side walls of theapertures, thereby firmly holding the loops in closed position until itis desired to release the tapered ends of the loops from the aperturesby upward finger pressure; and the thin areas of permanent contact ofthe flexible plastic loops with the mounting strip act as self-hardeninghinges which become tougher and stronger with continued use of theloops, due to molecular compression in the hinge portion of the plasticmaterial.

A more detailed description of the invention follows in conjunction witha drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the binding element of the invention showing themounting strip and the flexible plastic loops integrally joined to themounting strip and spaced along the length thereof, as viewed from thetop;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 through themounting strip and adjacent to a flexible plastic loop;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are greatly enlarged detail views showing the manner inwhich the flexible plastic loops are hingedly joined permanently to onelongitudinal edge of the mounting strip, as a result of a moldingoperation. FIGURE 3 illustrates the position of hinge joint when theloop is in a closed condition, in which condition the tapered 'free endof the loop is inserted into the associated aperture in the mountingstrip, while FIGURE 4 illustrates the position of the hinge joint whenthe loop is in an open 1 condition to receive sheets to be bound in theloose-leaf binder or to release sheets from the binder, in which opencondition the tapered free end of the loop would be outside theassociated aperture in the mounting strip; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the binding element secured to theinside of a cover of a loose-leaf binder or book.

The binding element of the invention, illustrated in varying degrees ofparticularity in FIGURES 1 to 4, is shown in FIGURE 5 in the manner inwhich it is used in the inside of a cover for a loose-leaf binder. Thebinding element comprises a relatively elongated back or mounting strip10 and a plurality of flexible loops 12 as a single integral piece madefrom plastic material such as polypropylene. The mounting strip issecured to the inside of the book in any suitable manner, as by rivetspassing through holes 14 spaced along the length of strip 10.

. The sheets of paper held by the binding element are designated 13.

The loops 12 are permanently secured to one edge of the mounting stripby thin areas of contact 16. These thin areas of contact 16 are, inpractice, thinner than the thickness of the loops 12. The free ends ofthe loops 12 are provided with tapered portions 18 which are designed tobe inserted into associated apertures 20 spaced longitu- 3 the free endof the loop, and the spacing between any two adjacent apertures is thesame as the spacing between the correspondingly positioned two adjacentloops. Preferably, the spacings between adjacent apertures and adjacentloops are equal. Each aperture 20 is provided on its inside wall with anindent or shoulder 22 into which the bulging portion 19 of a loop canrest for firmly holding the free end of the loop when inserted therein,as shown in FIGURE 2. In FIGURE 2, the dot-dash line illustrates theloop 12 in its open condition, while the solid line illustrates the loop12 in its closed condition with the upper sloping bulging portion of thetapered free end releasably locked or caught on the upper wall of theindent 22. There is a snug fit between the free end of loop 12 and theaperture 20 when the loop 12 is inserted into the aperture, and the loopsnaps into a locked position when the bulge 19 is thrust into theshoulder or indent 22. The tapered end of the loop 12 is easily set freefrom the aperture 20 by upward finger pressure on that portion of theloop immediately above the tapered end.

In making the binding element of the invention, a twopiece mold, eachpiece of which has a cavity, is used. Powder granules of the plasticmaterial, such as polypropylene granules, are melted into liquid formand the liquid plastic material is injected under pressure into the moldcavities. When the processing cycle of operations is completed, the moldis taken apart and the binding element consisting of mounting strip andflexible loops as a single integral one-piece element, as generally seenin FIGURE 1, is taken out from the mold. The hinge portion 16 iseffectively a self-hardening hinge which becomes tougher and strongerwith continued use due to, it is believed, the molecular compression inthe thin areas of contact of the loop with the mounting strip.

What is claimed is:

A binding element for a loose-leaf binder comprising, as an integral onepiece plastic member, a mounting strip and a plurality of flexible loopsat right angles to said strip and on one side thereof, each of saidloops comprising two upright portions at right angles with respect tosaid strip and joined at the upper part thereof, the first of each ofsaid upright portions forming with said strip an Patented May 17, 1966integrally molded hinge, said hinge being formed by thickened reinforcedshoulder portions projecting outwardly from an edge of said strip andfrom an adjacent end of said first upright portion, said shoulderportions being joined only at their outer edges by a reduced area ofrectangular cross-section, said area being thinner than the thickness ofsaid loop, the line of said reduced area being parallel to said edge ofthe strip, said reduced area forming the hinge proper whereby each loophinges about a line parallel to and spaced outwardly from said edge ofthe strip and outwardly from said end of the loop, and an angularcut-out section at the hinge line of the upright extending across theend of the upright on the side opposite the hinge, locking apertures insaid strip on the opposite edge of said strip from said hinge side, saidaper-' tures adapted to receive the free end of said second uprightportion, a shoulder formed in the strip aperture on the hinge sidethereof, the free end of said loop having a tapered surface on the endthereof and a bulging portion on the hinge side adapted to cooperatewith said aperture shoulder to provide a locking action for said loop.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,441,873 1/1923Moore 12924 1,816,021 7/1931 Meyerson 12924 2,321,559 6/1943 Trussell129'-1 2,459,541 1/1949 Russell 129--24 X 2,495,180 1/1950 Phillips 12912,502,493 4/1950 Trussell 1291 3,087,498 4/1963 Vogel 129--23 3,111,94911/1963 Duncan et a1. 12924 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,246,815 10/1960 France.1,3 64,099 5/ 1964 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

